Anticipating Sale, E.ON Awards Grants To Schools, Foundation

by Gabe Bullard on July 13, 2010

by Gabe Bullard

The head Germany’s E.ON utility company today awarded a six million dollar parting gift to three Kentucky institutions.

E.ON is seeking to sell Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities to Pennsylvania-based PPL. If the sale is approved by the Public Service Commission, it will mean an end to E.ON’s operations in Kentucky.

To reward what he calls, “an exemplary relationship,” the international head of E.ON Tuesday awarded 2 million dollars each to the University of Louisville, University of Kentucky and the utility’s charitable branch, the E.ON U.S. Foundation.

U of L President James Ramsey says the grant will fund an endowed chair in the school’s Center for Renewable Energy Research.

“We’ll have to go through the recruiting process, but we’re doing work in the lithium-ion battery, we’re doing work in solar energy, geothermal energy,” he says. “And again, a lot of our focus is on environmental sustainability.”

UK’s grant will go toward its Power and Energy Institute. The E.ON U.S. Foundation will use the money for charitable giving.